In a small house in the Land of Waves, two men sat at a table in the kitchen. These two seemed completely different from each other in appearance. Perhaps the only thing they had in common was their attire: black cloaks with red clouds.
The first of them – a young man with ash-gray hair slicked back – leisurely ate an apple. The guy was well-built, with a rather pleasant face. With one arm, he hugged a three-bladed scythe of scarlet color.
— That darn leader! — exclaimed the man, throwing the apple core out the window. — What the heck are we doing here, huh? Kakuzu, I'm asking you!
— Shut up… — Kakuzu croaked.
The second man's head was covered by a light gray hood, and the lower part of his face was hidden by a dark mask. His eyes seemed otherworldly: green irises without pupils and red sclera; they looked more like the eyes of some demon that had come out of the underworld.
— What did you say, jerk?
— Hidan… reminding you for the slow-witted, our organization has an order for the elimination of… — Kakuzu began to explain.
— I remember, I remember, — Hidan interrupted. — What do you take me for, completely stupid? You tell me, why the heck were Itachi and Kisame the ones sent to eliminate the targets? And what the devil are we specifically doing in this dump? I can't even bring myself to call this armpit of a world a country.
Kakuzu merely pulled a leaflet from inside his cloak and laid it on the table, sliding it towards the gray-haired man. The leaflet featured a photo of a bald guy with a rather foolish expression on his face. Below the photo was a list of basic information about the target they had been ordered to eliminate.
— And four of us had to be sent for this bald moron… — Hidan raised an eyebrow. — Seriously? I could have brought him as a sacrifice to Jashin-sama all by myself!
— The photo is indeed unflattering, — Kakuzu shook his head, glancing at the target's face. — However, according to the information sent by the client, this bald guy is almost SS-rank, which is equivalent to Kage level. It says here that his physical strength is almost like the Slug Princess's, and his speed is like the Third Raikage's. If all of this is really the case, then we've encountered a serious opponent…
— Haha, — the priest of the bloody god let out a chuckle. — Don't make me laugh. All I need is to sample his blood for the ritual, and this idiot will be a corpse.
— Don't be overconfident. Out of the four of us, you're the weakest…
— But the most resilient and handsome, — Hidan retorted. — And that's all because I'm blessed by my God. Unlike you heretics…
— I believe that Itachi and Kisame will complete the mission, and they won't need our help, — Kakuzu continued. — They went out on a reconnaissance in force, but the two of them will be quite enough to eliminate both the architect with his escort team and our main target.
— Well then, why the heck are we sitting here twiddling our thumbs? If they're such hotshots, let them complete the task themselves! And we'll run off to my homeland, the Land of Hot Springs… we'll kill a hundred or two in the glory of Jashin…
Kakuzu pondered. Three days ago, Akatsuki had received an interesting order to eliminate a certain shinobi. The client had provided detailed information about the target: photo, height, weight, general characteristics, and approximate combat capabilities. The client's description regarding combat power was hard to believe, because if the provided information was to be taken at face value, it turned out that the bald guy was almost a reincarnation of Hashirama, only his arsenal of techniques was meager, but otherwise, he could be given the title of Kage right now for his strength.
Usually, Kakuzu regularly monitored updates in the Bingo Book, as well as scoured private advertisements for the capture or assassination of this or that missing-nin. He ignored the small fry, but he didn't miss out on large and realistically achievable orders, whenever possible informing the Head of the organization about new opportunities to earn money by acting as mercenaries. Being the treasurer of Akatsuki, Kakuzu had almost complete access to the organization's resources. His monetary pragmatism was only beneficial to the Leader. He often carried out missions to eliminate serious targets himself, not trusting the others. In his eyes, all these victims were no more than walking bags of money, and therefore, missing out on money on his part would be a manifestation of idiocy…
There had been no mention of this Saitama before. It was as if he had only appeared in the world a couple of weeks ago. But that was impossible. Shinobi with such power were usually well-known. And the fact that he was strong was beyond doubt, because no idiot would spend such a huge amount of money on a nobody. Moreover, Akatsuki had already received a third of the total sum as a deposit, which indicated a very serious attitude from the client and an equally serious level of danger from their target.
And Saitama's supposed abilities, which they received in his profile, were impressive. Super strength – at the level of the world's strongest taijutsu masters. Super speed – apparently achieved due to the presence of a special gene giving the Element of Speed. Super durability – apparently, this shinobi constantly maintains a chakra-based defense on his body. Absolute immunity to poisons. From ninjutsu, he had only shown wind style techniques, possessing at least one: "Fūton: Atsugai." Moreover, the target was constantly vigilant and had super reflexes, as none of the previous ten covert assassination attempts had any effect. He didn't even have a scratch…
— Are you spacing out there, or what? — the Jashinist interrupted Kakuzu's thoughts. — I'm asking, what the heck are we doing in this hole?
The treasurer rubbed the crossed-out protector of the Hidden Waterfall.
— We are here as backup, because the Leader is being cautious, — he reluctantly began to explain. — Which is not surprising. It's not every day that our client is willing to pay forty-five million ryō to eliminate some unknown shinobi.
— All you ever think about is money, you greedy bastard, — Hidan sneered contemptuously.
— Money rules the world, — Kakuzu retorted. — Your crazy brain is simply incapable of grasping this simple truth.
— Me, crazy? — Hidan questioned. — You son of a… I'm the most sane one in our whole gang!
Kakuzu skeptically examined his partner.
— What the heck are you staring at? — the priest of Jashin shouted. — It's not my fault that I'm surrounded by heathens. No one can understand the Path of Jashin! But I don't care! One of me is enough to bring pain, destruction, and the will of my god!
Kakuzu let the last outpourings of the crazy guy go in one ear and out the other.
— We can't risk such a large sum of money. If we fail, our reputation could be damaged. Besides, this Gato is also useful to us. His funds will come in very handy…
Offering Akatsuki's services to the local mafia magnate was Kakuzu's idea. Because there's no such thing as too much money. Gato himself had only ordered them to kill the old man Tazuna. However, for some reason, he had refused Akatsuki's protection services. Probably because this mob boss was a terrible cheapskate, and their organization, despite their low prices for assassinations, had set a very large sum for the protection of both Gato and his business. The shipping magnate had then said he would think about it, but it was clear from his eyes how reluctant he was to part with his money.
Of course, the income from eliminating some architect is nothing compared to the income from their main target, but this Tazuna also has an elite jonin escort. And there's a twenty-five million bounty on the latter's head!
— I don't understand anything, — Hidan shook his head. — If the organization needs darn money so badly, wouldn't it be easier to just off this shorty magnate and then swipe his cash?
The treasurer pondered deeply. There was a grain of truth in his crazy partner's words, because the money that had settled in Gato's pockets amounted to hundreds of millions, possibly even billions.
— Hm… — he drawled. — If it gets out that we're killing our clients, it could negatively affect our reputation…
— Oh, who cares?! — the priest of Jashin interrupted. — You'd think we're the embodiment of light and virtue! Besides, this darn dwarf will be an excellent sacrifice for Jashin-sama.
Kakuzu thoughtfully scratched his chin, then said:
— I'll ask the Leader. Surprisingly, your idea seems sound.
— Well, I'll be… — Hidan feigned surprise. — They've finally started listening to my opinion.
The guy took out the next apple. Taking a huge bite, he began to chew noisily, driving Kakuzu crazy.
— Don't annoy me, — Kakuzu growled. — Can't you eat normally?
— Shut your trap, — the priest of Jashin replied with his mouth full. — I eat how I eat.
— By the way, — Hidan continued, returning to the pressing topic. — If Kisame doesn't kick that bald guy's butt… I'll shove that darn hedgehog on a stick he carries around up his… and turn it clockwise…
— You wouldn't have the strength, — Kakuzu snorted. — Kisame is more likely to shove Samehada up your… to the hilt… for your foul mouth.
— Oh, no thanks for that kind of happiness, — Hidan shuddered, apparently imagining the scene. — Besides, I was just speaking figuratively…
Hidan didn't have time to explain exactly what he meant, because a crow flew in through the open window. Landing on the table, the bird looked around, then a cawing sound burst from its beak:
— Help! Reinforcements!
Then the crow disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke.
— What the heck was that? — Hidan asked, shifting his gaze from the table, where the bird had recently dissipated, to his partner.
— We're moving out, — Kakuzu said. Without another word, he jumped up sharply and leaped out the window; Hidan grabbed his scythe and, cursing vehemently, hurried after him.
This message had come from Itachi. And if he hadn't contacted them through his ring, then things were bad…
***
A little earlier
— This old man is ours. Get out of the way, or you'll all die…
A wave of killing intent flooded the forest surroundings, making the very core tremble. The genin tensed up. Zabuza's bloodlust was overwhelming. However, the powerful pressure emanating from this jonin, as well as visions of illusory death, could incapacitate some novices who had only recently graduated from the Academy; but Guy's team was far from being greenhorn rookies. Therefore, they all, as one, adopted combat stances, ready to repel the attack of the enemy shinobi.
Tazuna's legs buckled, and he almost lost consciousness. His body trembled violently, and he probably only avoided wetting himself because he had recently visited the local bushes.
Guy said firmly:
— This is impossible. We have a mission, and we must finish it as quickly as possible. Team Three, execute the plan!
After the sensei's words, it became easier to breathe, and the enemy jonin's killing intent seemed to recede.
— Hai! — the genin answered in unison.
Lee jumped to his teacher's side. The other genin shielded the client. Ten-Ten unfurled a scroll and took out strange pouches; raising her hand back, the girl awaited her sensei's signal. Neji activated his Byakugan, examining the shinobi from Kiri. Only Tazuna didn't know what to do or where to go. His house was still quite far, and it wasn't certain that there wouldn't be an ambush of mercenaries in his native village. Therefore, the architect froze like a pillar of salt.
— Lee, we're in a hurry! So don't hold back… — Guy began. — In the name of the Power of Youth! — Guy shouted, then jumped towards Zabuza: — Dynamic Entry!
The jonin from Kiri blocked the jumping kick with his cleaver, but was sent flying back ten meters. Somersaulting in the air, he pushed off the tree into which Guy had sent him. A battle at incredible speeds ensued. The men moved away from their juniors so as not to accidentally hit their own.
The chunin from Kiri spread out around the perimeter, surrounding the team from Konoha.
One of the Mist shinobi lunged at Lee, threatening to pierce the boy through, but the genin proved to be much more agile. Evading the thrust, he knocked the tantō out of his hands, and then suddenly found himself behind the enemy and slammed his foot into his neck. The sound of cracking vertebrae was heard, and the chunin fell to the ground like a limp doll.
The remaining Mist shinobi exchanged glances and decided to act together. This time they attacked the architect. About a dozen kunai flew towards Tazuna, but Neji appeared in front of the old man.
— Kaiten! — a whirlwind of chakra deflected the flying projectiles. — Ten-Ten, now!
The girl nodded, and two pouches flew out from behind Neji. After colliding with the ground, they exploded and began to emit gray smoke. The screen instantly grew in size, covering the surroundings within a radius of ten meters from the epicenter. The enemy chunin jumped back, creating water clones in the smokescreen. After which, they tried to scatter in different directions.
However, Ten-Ten had no intention of stopping there. She immediately began to bombard the area with smoke bombs, depriving the opponents of the ability to orient themselves in space. The smoke, however, did not cause her teammate the slightest discomfort. The young Hyūga had no intention of deactivating his Byakugan anytime soon.
Neji rushed towards the first Mist shinobi he could find:
— Gentle Fist!
The blow ruptured the chunin's lung, and blood began to flow from his mouth in spurts. The clone had no idea what was happening to the original, as the smokescreen only grew larger.
" Naive idiots. My Byakugan can distinguish water clones from originals, " Neji thought.
Before the Mist shinobi's body had even fallen, Hyūga darted towards the next enemy.
Rock Lee, at this time, decided to return to Ten-Ten and the architect. Because Neji felt like a fish in water in the smokescreen and didn't need any help.
— Three more at nine o'clock! — Hyūga shouted, striking the next opponent's tenketsu with Thirty-Two Palms.
The girl quickly oriented herself and began to throw smoke bombs, and then throwing weapons, in the direction indicated by the genin.
Suddenly, their teacher's roar was heard from the side:
— You are a worthy opponent. Therefore, I have no intention of holding back. The Gate of Opening – open…
***
The veins on Guy's forehead bulged, and he darted towards the jonin like lightning. Ducking under a sweeping sword strike, he drove his elbow into the man's solar plexus, but it turned out to be a water clone.
Zabuza appeared behind Guy, threatening to take the Green Beast's head off. A moment – and instead of Mighto, a chopped-up wooden log was all that remained. And the taijutsu master himself appeared before his opponent a couple of moments later with the bandages on his arms untied.
— It's time to finish this! — he roared. — Leaf Whirlwind!
A hail of kicks rained down on the enemy jonin. Despite his excellent swordsmanship, Zabuza simply didn't have time to defend himself. One of the side kicks knocked his cleaver away, and with the next low kick, Guy managed to knock the man off his feet.
— Leaf Hurricane!
With a kick, Mighto launched his opponent into the air, then jumped up and delivered another blow. In mid-air, bandages wrapped around the victim. Capturing the shinobi from Kiri in a cocoon, Guy spun the jonin like a top, then slammed him hard into the ground.
— Primary Lotus! — Guy announced the name of the technique, looking at the lying and wheezing shinobi. — You're quite tough, still alive. And relatively unharmed too, — Mighto raised a thick eyebrow.
Zabuza shook his head, trying to shake off the daze and detach himself from the pain all over his body.
— Don't twitch, — the Konoha jonin frowned, looming over the swordsman.
Momochi grunted and tried to move his arm, but suddenly received a powerful blow to the stomach, after which he lost consciousness.
— I said, don't twitch, — Guy said sternly. Then he turned around and walked slowly towards his students. He had eliminated the main threat. His genin should be able to handle the rest. If anything, the jonin would back up his charges, but nothing more…
***
The next trio of chunin proved to be more problematic for Team Three than the previous one. The enemies had learned from the experience of their comrades and attacked from a distance. Kunai with explosive tags hit Hyūga accurately, as if they had their own sensor. Neji had already used four Kaiten, and his Byakugan was starting to malfunction. The genin noticed that their instructor had apparently finished his fight, as there was no sound of battle from that side. But it didn't matter, because if they relied on their sensei all the time, they wouldn't progress beyond genin. And soon they would have the chunin exams, so this mission was an excellent test of their professional suitability and shinobi skills.
— Two clones at ten o'clock! — Hyūga shouted.
Lee nodded cheerfully and rushed in the indicated direction. However, shuriken immediately flew at him from the smoke. The genin easily dodged, jumping aside. He slightly closed his eyes, relying more on his hearing than his sight. The clones approached, and Rock dispelled them with two precise blows – the copies splashed into water.
Ten-Ten no longer used smoke pouches and threw various pieces of metal where Neji indicated. The girl hadn't hit a target even once, but that didn't matter; soon the smoke would dissipate, and she would be able to fully engage in the fight.
Whistle.
— Aaa! — Tazuna cried out. A deep scratch adorned his cheek.
Neji cursed. He deflected the incoming rain of shuriken again with Kaiten, partially dispersing the smoke, but at the same time, one of the enemy clones threw a shuriken at Tazuna from the other side. Ten-Ten barely managed to push the architect aside, but not completely. A scratch remained. Not critical, but still their mistake.
— In the name of the Power of Youth, I will protect my friends and the client! — Rock Lee shouted. — The Third Gate! The Gate of Life – open!
The genin's skin turned red, and his body began to emit a greenish aura. The ground beneath the boy's feet cracked from the power he was releasing.
— Gra-a-a! — energy raged within Lee; he couldn't hold back the roar that escaped his throat. — Guide me, Neji!
Hyūga, quickly recovering from the shock, began to point in the direction where the enemies were.
Less than half a minute passed before the chunin were dealt with. The energy released by Lee dissipated the smoke surrounding him, so the Mist shinobi were easy prey. The first fell with a fractured skull, not having time to retreat. Lee defeated the second with Leaf Hurricane. The third fell victim to Primary Lotus. The genin's speed and strength increased many times during the fight. Even if six chunin had attacked him simultaneously at that moment, they would hardly have been able to oppose Lee. Because he was unstoppable.
Rock Lee stood opposite his teammates, breathing heavily. He deactivated the Gate. Despite maintaining the technique for a relatively short time, the genin was exhausted.
— You did well! — Guy declared, approaching his charges. — Especially you, Lee, I'm proud of you!
Lee found the strength to strike a good guy pose:
— Sensei, it's all thanks to you. And thanks to the Power of Youth!
Neji, surveying the area with his Byakugan, jerked his head.
— Enemy jonin!
— He's lying down, resting, — Guy waved his hand carelessly.
— No, sensei, — Hyūga said anxiously, deactivating his dōjutsu. — He's gone!
— Huh? Gone? But I just knocked him out!
The jonin rushed to the place where he had recently left Zabuza's unconscious body, but it was already empty. Clicking his tongue in displeasure, Guy returned to the team and said:
— The bastard slipped away!
***
— What a pathetic sight, — sneered a man with gray-blue skin in an Akatsuki cloak. — And this is one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Not only did he lose to some animal, but his own student took him away from the battlefield. Laughable. And these chunin… what wretchedness. Defeated by snot-nosed kids.
The image projected by Uchiha's genjutsu dissipated. And the crow that had been soaring in the sky above the recent battle of Team Three continued to observe what was happening from above, several kilometers away from the mercenaries present here.
— Guy is the strongest in taijutsu, — the ravenette stated indifferently. — Despite our warning, Zabuza was doomed from the start. It's not certain that you can handle Mighto without me.
— You underestimate me, Itachi. One of me is enough to deal with this bunch of kids and the crippled jonin.
— You are too overconfident, Kisame. And you rely too much on your sword and your advantage in the amount of chakra. Moreover, you have a bad habit – playing with your opponent. Someday it will be your undoing.
Kisame only grinned at this statement, showing off his sharp triangular teeth:
— Enough chatter. We wait for the bald guy, and then we take them all down at once?
Uchiha closed his eyes for a few moments. One might think he was pondering, but he was merely shifting his attention to the two tokubetsu-jonin of Konoha who had recently reached the shore of the Land of Waves.
Itachi shook his head:
— No, we go now.
— A wise decision, — Kisame stroked the hilt of the bandaged sword on his shoulder. — Separately, they will be easy prey.
***
— You were incredible, Lee, — Neji said, surveying the battlefield.
Their teacher, meanwhile, had decided to punish himself for letting the Mist jonin escape. So Guy had put on his weights and started doing one-legged squats with two logs on his shoulders. Ten-Ten was currently treating the groaning Tazuna's wound.
— Haha, Neji! — the genin grinned. — I prepared that move especially for you. At the exam, I'll go all out against you! — he raised a finger and winked at Hyūga, but this time the "nice guy pose" came out slightly strained and forced. After all, opening the Gate of Life had not gone unnoticed for the thick-browed boy.
Hyūga nodded. He couldn't have imagined that Lee would be able to master the Heavenly Gates Technique. Not everyone is capable of using such a kinjutsu, as it requires incredible physical conditioning. Neji is often called the strongest genin, but today he realized that Lee deserved to take that title instead of him. Earlier, back in the Academy, the guy had thought that Rock Lee was just a funny little boy who strived to become stronger but would never be able to jump above his head. Neji believed that fate had destined him to be at most a simple genin, a laughingstock trailing behind everyone else. After all, the inability to use genjutsu and ninjutsu greatly affected a shinobi's overall combat effectiveness. However, the untalented boy had gradually gone against his nature, moving forward despite everything and achieving truly incredible results for his level…
And today, Lee had proven that fate can reward the persistent and hardworking. Rock Lee was a genius. A genius of hard work. What other heights he would be able to achieve in the future was unknown, but if Lee continued in the same spirit, he might very well become one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha.
" Maybe this is part of his destiny? To become strong despite everything… " flashed through Neji's mind. The guy rubbed his forehead protector, which concealed the seal of the Branch Family of his clan.
Hyūga was distracted from his thoughts by the architect:
— I feel unwell. I'm seeing double.
The old man shook his head, after which his body tilted. Losing his balance, he fell and began to gasp for air.
— Tazuna-san! — Ten-Ten cried out. Sweat poured down the architect's forehead; he breathed rapidly and intermittently. Guy dropped his logs and rushed to the client in an instant.
— What's wrong with him? — Mighto asked.
The girl quickly opened her pouch and began searching for an antidote. Apparently, the shuriken that had grazed Tazuna had been poisoned, and the effects hadn't been immediate. Fortunately, Ten-Ten had taken iryōninjutsu courses and was knowledgeable about the main poisons and antidotes used in shinobi field work.
Finding the vial with the necessary antidote, she poured the contents down Tazuna's throat.
— Delayed action poison, — Ten-Ten replied to her sensei. — Good thing I recognized the symptoms right away. If I had hesitated for a couple of minutes, he would have died.
Tazuna, meanwhile, sank into a saving oblivion. The old man's house was about a two-hour walk away, but in his current condition, it was best not to move him yet. He himself would not be able to walk for some time, for obvious reasons.
— Sensei, we'll have to set up camp, — Ten-Ten said.
Guy nodded and began to help Neji set up a temporary "camp." He strictly forbade Lee to exert himself, as the genin had recently used the Gates Technique.
Rock Lee collapsed not far from his teammate. He opened his water flask, but it turned out to be empty. After using the kinjutsu, his body ached, and he was incredibly thirsty. Ten-Ten was busy with Tazuna and had begun preparing some medicine for the architect. Neji and Guy-sensei were also busy gathering firewood, and Lee didn't want to distract any of them from their work. Just as he didn't want to show his own weakness.
The architect's backpack was conveniently nearby. Lee thought it would be better to take a small sip from the architect's flask than to start asking his teammates or sensei for water. Going to the nearest body of water in his condition was quite difficult.
Quietly opening the bag, Lee immediately found what he was looking for. The bottle was lying almost on the surface. Pulling out the wooden stopper, he took a couple of sips to moisten his throat. Letting go of the bottle, Lee noticed that the water had a somewhat strange taste, but he didn't pay it any attention. He still hadn't quenched his thirst, so the guy decided to take a couple more sips. Then a couple more… then more… and more…